The Ebonyi State Government has defended the performance of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s administration, insisting that the state remains on the right development trajectory and that the governor has fulfilled the vision of the state’s founding fathers.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Chief Ikeuwa Omebeh, the government responded to remarks made by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii (AnyiChuks), during a dinner with purported Ebonyi stakeholders held in Abuja on June 25, 2026.
The government addressed four key questions raised by Odii regarding the state’s direction, pace of development, and whether Ebonyi today reflects the aspirations of its founding fathers. It answered each question in the affirmative.
According to the statement, Governor Nwifuru’s administration has made significant progress in critical sectors, particularly education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and economic development.
On education, the government highlighted the continuation of free and compulsory basic education, the reactivation of the Ebonyi State Scholarship Board, and the award of state-funded local and foreign postgraduate scholarships to about 1,400 graduates between 2024 and 2026. It also cited the establishment of ICT University, Oferekpe, the upgrade of Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, to a degree-awarding institution, increased subvention to Ebonyi State University, salary enhancements for university staff, and investments in classrooms, hostels and other educational facilities.
Defending the pace of development, the government pointed to reforms in the health sector, including the rehabilitation and equipping of the state’s 13 General Hospitals and 503 Primary Health Centres, recruitment of health workers, distribution of ambulances and official vehicles to hospitals, construction of the Ebonyi State Medical Diagnostic Centre, and the revival of the state health insurance scheme with free healthcare coverage for pregnant women and civil servants.
The statement also listed improvements in water supply infrastructure, expansion of major markets across the state, revitalisation of state-owned industries, support for small and medium-scale enterprises, and the distribution of 56,000 bags of fertiliser to farmers between 2023 and 2025.
Responding to concerns about whether the state reflects the vision of its founding fathers, the government maintained that Governor Nwifuru has promoted industrialisation and investment through policies that have encouraged indigenous entrepreneurs to establish and expand businesses in Ebonyi. It also cited increased urban development, new housing estates and growing private sector investments as evidence of economic progress.
On peace and security, the government described Ebonyi as one of Nigeria’s safest states, crediting the administration with restoring peace in several communities previously affected by communal conflicts, including Effium and Ezza Effium, Akaeze and Ishiagu, Amanze and Izzo, as well as other disputed areas.
The statement further noted that the administration had created new autonomous communities, supervised the resolution of traditional leadership disputes, and ensured what it described as equitable distribution of infrastructure, appointments and social intervention programmes across the state’s 13 local government areas.
While acknowledging that the achievements highlighted were not exhaustive, the government maintained that Governor Nwifuru’s administration has remained committed to security, inclusive development and the overall socio-economic transformation of Ebonyi State.
The statement concluded by describing the government’s response as a direct answer to the issues raised by Chief Ifeanyi Odii during his Abuja address.
